CRN 20604 An Introduction to the Graphic Novel
New College, Spring 2005 Full Term Wednesdays CFA 212
Class Meeting 12:30-3:20 Movie Lab: 3:30-4:50
Scheduled readings and other assignments are due for the date they are listed.
This course will meet for 14 weeks with a final session of evaluation conferences during examination week. Class size is expected to be approximately 25. Students will be asked to complete the readings for each week in advance of the weekly class meeting and to write and post in a class forum a 500-750 word response to one of the works read for each session. Students would be asked to submit a 1000-1500 word response or several pages of an original graphic narrative for the 15 th class session. Most classes will begin with a short lecture to introduce the subject followed by a period of instructor led discussion focused on the works read for that week and the issues they present. The proposed topics and reading list for the course are as follows:
Before the class starts students are asked to read Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics .
Warning Warning Warning ….Some of the work in this class contains images and representations that are sexually explicit, racist or sexist, or based on other harmful stereotypes. These representations may offend or cause pain to some readers. These works are presented in their appropriate historical, literary and ociological contexts. No participants in the class or the accompanying film lab are required to view these images or read these works and may substitute other works.
Click Here to access the Class Web Board. Please write your responses in a word processing program and save them to be later cut and pasted into the web board conferences. This is the process you should use regularly in posting class materials. If you post any files as attachments, .jpg. etc., please remember not to use any spaces or special characters in the file name. The attachment will post but no one will be able to see it. When creating a user name for the board please use your real name.
Feb 2—Introduction to the Graphic Narrative featuring a review of works by Hogarth, Töpffer, Cruikshank, Marie Duval and Max Ernst. I will also present a short history of the comic strip including the work of Winsor McCay and George Herriman.
Movie Lab: Selected Early animation including work by Winsor McCay and Melies.
Feb. 9— The Comic Book and the Emergence of the Graphic Novel. Read Hergé, Adventures of TinTin Vol. 5, Will Eisner, Contract with God, Art Speigelman’s Jack Cole and Plastic Man . In-class eadings of several types of Comics featuring the work of Carl Barks. Discussion of Eisner’s theories of graphic storytelling.
Movie Lab: Selected cartoons including work of Fleischer Studios, Famous Studios, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Video conversation between Will Eisner and Stan Lee.
Feb. 16— Underground Comix. Read Robert Crumb, The Book of Mr. Natural, Dori Seda, The Complete Dori Seda and Aline Kominsky Crumb, Love that Bunch. In-class reading of Underground comics.
Movie Lab: Two animations by Sally Cruikshank, Crumb.
Feb. 23— Legitimization of the Graphic Novel , read Art Spiegelman, Maus (Vol. 1 and 2), and Howard Cruse, Stuck Rubber Baby.
Movie Lab: Barefoot Gen
March 2— A Brief Introduction to Manga . Read Osamu Tezuka, Phoenix Vol. 2: A Tale of the Future , Lupin III Vol. 1 by Monkey Punch, and Rumiko Takahashi, Mermaid Forest .
Movie Lab: Night on the Galactic Railway.
March 9— Punk Chicano Ethos and Other Non-traditional Postions of Representation in the Graphic Novel . Read: Locas: A Love & Rockets Book by Jaime Hernandez and Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez.
Movie Lab: Street Fight
March 16—The Graphic Bildungsroman. Read Phoebe Goeckner, Diary of a Teenage Girl and Craig Thompson, Blankets.
Movie Lab: Chasing Amy
March 23— Spring Break—No Assignment. Take a vacation.
March 30— The New Historical Graphic Novel. Read King The Complete Edition by Ho Che Anderson and Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography by Chester Brown.
Movie Lab:
April 6— New School Feminism in the Graphic Narrative. Read Julie Doucet, My New York Diary ; Patricia Seaman, New Motor Queen City ; Molly Kiely, Diary of a Dominatrix; Erica Sakurazawa, Nothing but Loving You; and Scooter Girl by Chynna Clugston-Major. Link to Interview with China Clugston-Major.
Movie Lab: Selected works by women animators including The Adventures of Prince Achmed by Lotte Reininger, the first extant animated feature, and works by Suzan Pitt and the Hubley Studios.
April 13— . Graphic Journalism and Graphic Memoir. Read Joe Sacco, The Complete Palestine and Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis . Click here for short interview of Marjane Satrapi. Also click here for a Colombia Journalism Review story about comics Journalism.
Movie Lab: American Splendor
April 20— Epic Fantasy . Read Bone: One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith. Click here to read Jeff Smith interview.
Movie Lab: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
April 27— The Literary Ascendance of the Graphic Novel. Read Daniel Clowes, Ghostworld and Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan The Smartest Kid on Earth. Click here for a quicktime interview of Chris Ware on French Television...some French but Ware and others are interviewed in English. Slide Show on New Graphic Novel.
Movie Lab: Ghostworld
May 4— Reinvention of the Comics. Read Alan Moore, Watchmen; Neil Gaiman, Sandman: A Game of You; Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Think Like a Mountain; Johnny the Homicidal Maniac by Jhonen Vasquez; as well as selected examples of web comics .
Movie Lab: Neverwhere Marathon.
Links to Recent Alan Moore Interview on BBC: 1. Interview with Moore, Superman Comment, Batman Comment, Dr. Who Comment 2. Interview of Brian Eno by Alan Moore.
May 11— Each One Bring One. Each student will do a short presentation on a graphic novel of their choice or will present a few pages of an original graphic novel of their own. Criteria for evaluations discussed.
Movie Lab: The Triplets of Belleville
May 18—Evaluation. The specifics of the final evaluation for each student will be developed in consultation with the student during individual meetings during this final session.
N.B. Cost of Books
The cost of the books in this course is extraordinarily high. This is because of the cost reproducing books that combine words and pictures. It is also a reflection, in part, of the more limited circulation of a number of the titles. I will arrange for my own copies of these works to placed on reserve in the library to be read there. ooks for this course have been ordered and are available for purchase at the Ringlng School of Art Campus Store. The books are also available at Amazon.com which is the cheapest way to acquire many of them. We also hope to form some other arrangements for getting books to read. Among the suggestions are sharing agreements in which each student agrees to buy certain titles and shares them with other students in a group so that everyone would have access to all the works but would only have to buy some of the books.
Optional Choices:
At the end of the semester you will be asked to read and write an extended response to one of the works from this list or another graphic narrative of your choice.
Grant Morrison, et. al.—Arkham Asylum
Rumiko Takahashi —Maison Ikkoku
Chester Brown—Playboy
Ben Katchor—A Jew in New York
Rick Marschall—America's Great Comic Strip Artists
Chris Ware—Quimby the Mouse
Alex Robinson—Box Office Poison
Alan Moore—From Hell
Kaz— UnderWorld
Donna Barr—Stinz: Horsebrush and Other Tales (or) Charger
Michael Chabon—The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Daniel Clowes—Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron
Daniel Clowes—David Boring
Paul and Judy Karasik —The Ride Together
Evan Dorkin—Fun with Milk and Cheese
Barrier and Williams—The Smithsonian Book of Comic Book Comics
Trina Robbins—From Girls to Girrrlz
Raymond Briggs—Ethel & Ernest
Kurt Vonnegut —Breakfast of Champions
Alison Bechdel—Dykes to Watch Out For: The Sequel
Alan Moore—V for Vendetta
Enki Bilal—The Nikopol Trilogy
Charles Burns—El Borbah
Debbie Drechsler—Summer of Love
Mark Kalesniko—Mail Order Bride
Joe Matt—The Poor Bastard
Seth—It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken
Adrian Tomine—Sleepwalk
Michael Kupperman—Snake and Bacon's Cartoon Cabaret
Tony Millionaire—Maakies
Gilbert Shelton—The Complete Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Vol. 1
Chester Brown—Louis Riel
Jim Woodring's— Frank
Gus Arriola—Accidental Ambassador Gordo
Terry Moore—The Collected Strangers in Paradise (Vol.1)
Paul Hornschemeier —Mother, Come Home
James Sturm—Golem's Mighty Swing
Osamu Tezuka—Phoenix: Dawn
Jessica Abel—Mirror Window
Joe Sacco—The Fixer
Dave Cooper—Ripple
Paul Pope—Heavy Liquid
Debbie Drechsler—Daddy's Girl
Kim Deitch—Boulevard of Broken Dreams
